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I’ve been getting a lot of comments and questions about my Target 90% of clearance posts, so I thought I’d devote a post addressing some of them and include some of my own (that I used to have) for you.

1. When does Target have 90% off? Is it only at Christmas time?
No. All of Target’s holiday items get marked down on the 50% / 70% / 90% off schedule. These include Christmas (the big one), Hanukkah, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Summer and Halloween.  I know a lot of people are hoping / hearing that the Target / Neiman Marcus line will get to 90% off, but I really doubt it.  Once something gets an orange clearance sticker, it usually doesn’t get marked down more than 70% off.

2. How do you know what’s on sale?
As you know, the 50% / 70% / 90% off items are NOT marked with Target’s typical orange clearance tags. As a result, it makes it more of a challenge than your normal clearance shopping. I recommend going to Target while things are still where they should be and check it out. Most items that are included in the holiday clearance start out in the normal seasonal area. So next time you are at Target, wander through the the Valentine’s areas. See what’s there. Because those are the things you are going to be looking for!  If that seems like too much work, I’ll start posting pictures when Valentine’s Day things are 50% off!

3. Should I hide the stuff I want and come back and buy it when it’s on clearance?
I know some people do this, but I don’t really. Most of the fun of 90% off clearance shopping is hunting for the deals. Sometimes I run across people’s hidden stash and for the most part I leave it.  If I really really want something, I will buy it at 50% or 70% off.

4. Where should I look in the store for the deals after the holidays?
Most people just head to the seasonal area and look and see what’s by the signs and then wonder why they only find bows and gift bags for 90% off when other people find picture frames and Rachel Ray cookware. You gotta look in the regular aisles. If you know Hot Wheels are part of the Valentine’s clearance, check the Hot Wheels area of the store. Want cupcake cake pans, spatulas, etc? Look in the baking area. Look on all the end caps. Things get mixed up very quickly. The good stuff is not going to sit in the normal seasonal area when it’s marked 90% off for very long.

5. When will 90% off happen for Valentine’s Day?
That’s a good question. Years ago, it used to be 50% off for the first 3 days after the holiday, then 70 (or 75%) off for the next 2-3 days and then 90% off for 2 days. Now? There is no rhyme or reason. Some stores will go 90% while others are 70%.  I usually check the forums of Slick Deals or just run out and check myself.  The markdowns are automatic and happen before the store opens, so if it’s not 90% off at 9am, it won’t be 90% off at 4pm.

6. Can I get a price adjustment?
No. You can only get price adjustments on sale items, not clearance.  The best you can do is return and rebuy.  I will sometimes buy something at 50% off and then see it at 90% off.  So I buy it again and return it with my 50% off receipt.  Most stores won’t let you return and rebuy in the same transaction.  You have to wait for the item to be placed back  on the floor, which sometimes takes a while (like longer than you’d want to wait).

7. What in the world do you do with all this stuff?
I get this question all the time and it’s totally fair.  If I find a lot of something at 90% off, I use it for goodie bags for L’s friends at school.  I do them for all the holidays + his birthday, so that’s a lot of stuff.  Things I buy one or two of, I use for stocking stuffers, Easter baskets, Valentine’s Day baskets (yes we do those), etc.  I also use my finds for teachers gifts, hostess gifts, donations, etc.

8. Do you buy things to sell them?
For the most part, no.  I mean every once in a while I will go through my stash and donate  the smaller items left over from goodie bags (i.e. one box of left over Hot Wheels, etc.).  If there is something bigger I haven’t used, I might sell it at a garage sale or whatever, it I don’t buy things with the intent to sell them.  I couldn’t even tell you if people do this?  I suspect some do, but it’d be a lot of work!

I think that about covers my knowledge of Target’s holiday clearance.  They do semi-annual toy clearances which people go crazy over, but I’m not as into those.  The toy clearance is actually happening right now, but I don’t think much has been marked down to 70% off yet.  If you’ve got any questions or I’ve missed something, let me know I’d love to hear it!

If you want to check out all my Target clearance posts, click here.   I’ve been posting about my Target finds for years and there are lots of pictures, so you can get an idea of what types of items have been included in the past!